I SURRENDER RESOLUTIONS
I
CHOOSE A WORD
AND A WORK
FOR HIM TO DO
IN MY HEART THIS YEAR
As another year comes to a close I do what most people do; take
time to reflect, review and plan.
I am not one to
make “Resolutions”. Long ago I realized
that within a few days of declaring my promises, pledges and declarations that
I had lost the fight, failed the vow and threw in the towel. So now I make no resolutions. I have need of only one thing. To Love the Lord my God with all my heart.
And
you must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
all
your soul, and all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6: 5
I want to tell you
about my reflection of all that God has done for me this year. Like some of my friends I spent most of the
month of November in Thanksgiving. Everyday
I took opportunity to speak thankfulness for blessings in my life! Wow was that a great exercise and something I
want to incorporate every day into my life.
I have learned that even on the grayest day there is always something to
be thankful for!
Make
thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
and keep the vows you made to the Most
High.
Then
call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you, and you will give me
glory.
Psalm 50:14-15
I have learned two of the most precious
lessons this year; the sacrifice of Praise to God and keeping my vows I have
made to Him. I have seen him honor my
sacrifice of praise and rescue me time and time again. He is so amazingly faithful. I would be lost without Him and I desperately
need Him every day. I am in awe of all He has done this year in my life and I open my heart and arms wide for more!
Somewhere in the
middle of this last year I realized I had made progress on an issue I had been
battling all my life (MY CONTROLLING HEART). Oh how I hated and loathed that
word. When anyone tried to tell me I was
controlling I was so incredibly hurt. I
did not think I was controlling. I
thought it was love.
I learned at an
early age some very unhealthy responses to my world. With my fathers drinking, as a child I wanted
to make my world happy and everyone in it happy. Somehow, as it happens with children of
Alcoholics, you begin to take on responsibility to “fix it”. I became to believe that it was my job to
make everyone happy and take care of everyone.
I carried, oh let’s be honest and say I carry that need into this very
day. I often find it necessary to control
my environment. This involves “sharing” my
ideas and concerns, trying to make everyone and everything ok. I even "help" or tell people plan how to accomplish change!
Perfectionism comes with the territory of children of alcoholics. My poor children and husband
have had to live with this. You can probably only imagine how the disease of
Alcoholism has affected and infected my life and those around
me. It truly is a disease that affects
the whole family for generations.
I have in my blog
the past few months often shared openly regarding Addiction. I have a deep heart belief we are only as
sick as our secrets. If we are willing
to be vulnerable and share our realness, then we can encourage one another and
work toward healing. It is with honesty, non judgment, love, kindness and most importantly
with our Great Savior that healing and wholeness take place. You see I believe one
of the biggest faults of the Christian community or the church is that we
pretend to be perfect. That is why we
are so often called hypocrites. Let’s be honest and hold each other up in
prayer and encouragement. That is when Jesus gets the glory for the work He is
doing! That is the whole reason I started my blog. This is my great adventure of what God will do in my life as I continue to SURRENDER ALL.
Back to my work;
Controlling. I find I am letting go, keeping my mouth shut more often, looking
up to Him, instead of looking to fix it. With my
new found growth and improvement, not
perfection, I am encouraged to go the next step; you know amplify,
intensify and strengthen. I am all about NOT wanting to stay the same. I
desire to grow, change and become more like the women Christ wants me to
be.
OH LORD
IT IS MY PRAYER
YOU CONTINUE TO DO A
WORK IN ME.
I ONLY WANT YOU TO BE
IN CONTROL.
I am reminded there
is no need to work for God’s acceptance.
There is only one work he wants from me.
Jesus
told them,
“This is the only work God wants from you;
Believe in the one he has sent.”
John 6:29
Jesus
replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul,
and all your mind. This is the first and
greatest commandment. A second is
equally important; Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the
prophets are based on these two commandments”.
Matthew 22:37-40
In my time of
prayer, thanksgiving, reflection and preparation for the New Year I recognize
how God has begun this work in my life. It
is as if God said, “Your word of the year in 2012 was CONTROL. This year, I want to do a work in your heart
and the word is NARCISSISM”. Oh no
GOD! This word I hate too, Narcissism,
meaning undue dwelling on self. I
can’t believe I am telling you this. Once
again, I confess my ugly human nature. Narcissism
goes hand in hand really with Control. So I am not surprised that God is lovingly prodding me to change.
When I was a child I became frightened when my
father drank. I often thought that it somehow
was my fault. When you grow up thinking that
way you become obsesses that it is all about you. It is your fault, if only you were different,
tried harder, if you would be more perfect, if you..you you. You become paranoid
that people are talking about you, thinking, judging you.
THIS IS MY NEW TRUTH;
I am not that
important and not everything is about me.
SO MY WORD AND WORK
FOR THE NEW YEAR IS NARCISSISM.
Great…fun…I am now
being sarcastic.
Oh yes Lord, I do want
your guidance and healing in my heart this year. I am so eternally thankful you do not leave me the same, that you are not finished with me yet!
I SAY YES LORD
Before the clock strikes midnight
And a New Year begins
Be challenged.
Do not make a resolution.
Have God give you a word.
A Word and a work,
that only God
can do in your life this year.
He is more than able to accomplish that work.
O
my people, trust in Him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him, for God is our
refuge.
Psalm 62:8
SAY YES TO HIS WORD!
WELCOME 2013!
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